Theophanies are majestic and tremendous manifestations of God’s presence.
Think of Moses and the burning bush and Jesus in the Transfiguration scene.
The sacred vision on Mount Horeb is described in our first reading. Here we
learn that the place is sacred ground and that God gives Moses and us a
glimpse of who God is. The name is so sacred that both Jew and Christian
should not pronounce it. It is called the tetragrammaton and is based on
the verb “to be”, however, it is mysterious and transcendent in its
meaning. We normally see it as “Lord” in English and as Adonai in the way
it is pronounced when read from the Hebrew texts in which is used.Moses
learns that he is in the presence of the God of his ancestors, the God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Recently, the liturgical minded persons reminded us to respect this holy
name by not using it in the songs and readings that we have but use Lord or
some other name used for speaking about God.

Matthew’s Gospel presents the striking words of Jesus that are consoling
for us. They prompt us to be humble and open hearted like children if we
are to receive the revelation of who Jesus is. Jesus expresses his own
thanks to the Father that God has revealed this to the merest children who
accept in love, wonder, and awe what Jesus says and who he is for them.
The clever, arrogant, and proud often are not in on this revelation Jesus
gives. The little ones (the mikroi ) or children are the ones who receive
his revelatory words. He confirms it by saying, “Father, it is true. You
have graciously willed it so. No one knows the Son but the Father and
anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” We are led to think about
God’s holy presence in our lives and to cherish it as we live out another
day in that holy presence. Amen.

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